In 2017, the Asia-Pacific region accounts for approximately half of social media users worldwide.*

In 2017, marketers spend more than $11 billion on advertising on social media in the United States.**

By 2020, over 5 billion people use social networks, about two-thirds of the world’s population.***

In 2020, social networks penetrate all realms of life as individuals and governments explore new ways to tap into the power of the crowd. Location data used in conjunction with social networks create hyper-local social platforms. Niche or specific-interest based social networks allow people to customize and filter content, while privacy concerns drive the growth of temporary social media platforms. Social media provides a vital stream of data used by governments and corporations for advanced analytics and sentiment analysis.